1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus and, more particularly, to a facsimile apparatus which records received information stored in a memory all together.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional facsimile apparatus, received information is basically immediately recorded such that the information is simultaneously recorded with start of reception, or the information is recorded upon completion of reception of one page. That is, the facsimile apparatus has instantaneity as its primary importance.
There has been proposed a facsimile apparatus in which image data received at night when no operator is present is stored in a memory and recorded not at that time but in the morning. Also in this facsimile apparatus, image data received during daytime is recorded in real time.
In the conventional facsimile apparatus, received information is basically immediately recorded, so that instantaneity is sufficiently ensured.
In such a facsimile apparatus, however, power saving cannot be effectively achieved. For example, there is a facsimile apparatus which performs surf (Surface Rapid Fusing)-fixing recording (a fixing unit is not normally supplied with power but energized at the time of recording) suitable for power saving. Even in this facsimile apparatus, if information corresponding to one page is received every 20 minutes, preheat for recording is performed every 20 minutes. Upon completion of recording of one page, preheat is canceled.
Surf-fixing recording will be briefly described. Most of conventional facsimile apparatuses employ a heat roller fixing unit constituted by a fixing roller having a large heat capacity and a halogen lamp arranged in the fixing roller. In surf-fixing recording, in place of these components, a thin fixing film and a heater having a small heat capacity pressed against the fixing film are used. With this arrangement, preheat of the heater during waiting becomes unnecessary, thereby achieving power saving. This is because a time for preheat from the room temperature to a recording allowable temperature is decreased as compared to the conventional heat roller fixing unit. More specifically, in surf-fixing, the time for preheat from the room temperature to the recording allowable temperature is as short as about six seconds. Therefore, if a record state can be set within this time period, preheat of the heater during waiting is not needed. As described above, surf-fixing recording is effectively used as a recording means because power can be saved during waiting. However, in the above-described recording of received information, preheat is performed before recording of one page, and thereafter, the information corresponding to one page is recorded. In addition, the temperature of the heater is decreased in 20 minutes. Before recording of the next page, the heater must be preheated again. For this reason, preheat for real-time recording is performed every time information is received.